Apple Is Leaving iTunes’ Dying Body With Windows

What is dead may never die, no matter how much you might wish it would.

Yesterday Apple announced they would sending iTunes to a nice farm in the countryside, where it could spend every day playing with other music management software like Zune.

General sentiment was that it would be sad to see iTunes go, but it would be so much happier with all the sunshine and a lovely big field to run around in.

However, as subsequent clarification has cleared up a few details of Apple’s declaration, it’s beginning to look as though iTunes will only be mostly dead.

As reported by Billboard journalist Micah Singleton, iTunes will linger on unchanged in Windows, a parting curse from Apple to their competitor. The company has indicated that Windows users will not see any changes to their bloated, buggy experience, and can continue grumbling as usual.

Further, Apple has said to Ars Technica that they are not ending iTunes support for Windows users at this time. This doesn’t mean that they won’t in the future, and it would be prudent to think that Apple’s focus will lean more toward the Mac side of things. Nevertheless, it’s good news for now if you’re a Windows user who is super attached to old, frustrating software.

*iTunes Music Store will be available in the sidebar in the Music app

— Micah Singleton (@MicahSingleton) June 4, 2019

While Windows will retain iTunes in its current reviled configuration, on Mac it will dissolve and reform into three new apps: Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Apple TV. These will carry on the work their predecessor left behind, so no matter whether you’re running Windows or macOS, your library full of iTunes purchases and CD rips will not be lost.

Apple also has you covered if you’d rather own your tunes at $2.19 per track rather than stream them from Spotify for free. The iTunes Store won’t be disappearing, continuing on as usual on Windows and accessible via the Apple Music app on Mac. Side note: Please love yourself more.